›› Ross Currie
The Brass
The Brass is a community-based, non-auditioned brass ensemble founded three years back by bandleader Julia Knight. It’s a “huge mix of people, all adults. Everyone from professional musicians to people who haven’t touched their horns since High School band,” says Knight; who handles the arrangements, which run the gamut of pop, indie rock, hip-hop, electronic, and beyond. “I wrote some pretty tough arrangements for the crew this summer… And as usual they’re blowing my mind,” says Knight. This new music may, or may not include a brass rendition of a certain Australian psych-rock band, or a mash-up of everyone’s favourite Britney Spears tune! “Come dance at FernFest,” says Knight, who hopes to pack in as many horns as possible into Fernwood Square.
Grapefruit Is Impossible
Fuelled by that collaborative spirit found in Victoria’s funk, soul and groove scenes; the local six-piece Grapefruit Is Impossible combine a jazzy zest with healthy squeezes of hip-hop infusing their fresh sound. “The general vibe is just high-energy fun… we like to create an energy of anything creative is okay, as long as it’s not offensive,” says MC Alexa Verstraten. Fun and lighthearted are certainly keywords in describing the Grapefruit Is Impossible sound, but the band definitely has the musical chops to give it that tight live sound. With that being said, it’s safe to say Grapefruit Is Impossible are sure to provide that tang for you to shake your thang!
Haley Blais
Vancouver indie-pop singer/songwriter Haley Blais just dropped her latest EP Let Yourself Go this past April, which resulted in a cross Canada tour in support of the release. “It’s my first full band backed EP. I wrote it and recorded it all in Victoria,” says Blais. The Victoria connection on Let Yourself Go is strong, with writing and recording coming courtesy of FernFest alumni Trevor Lang and Brennan Doyle of Cartoon Lizard. Blais says the shift to having a full band was inevitable, which has made for “more of an elaborate production. All my stuff prior had been home recordings… And now everything’s upgraded,” she adds, which has spilled over into songwriting and performing. Don’t miss this talented up-and-coming performer at her FernFest debut.
The Victoria Cuban All-Stars
The Victoria Cuban All-Stars, the local 5-piece led by trumpeter Miguelito Valdes, are sure to bring a high caliber of Cuban and Latin American music to Fernwood Square. Their name is an homage to the Afro Cuban-All Stars, formed by tres/guitarist Juan De Marcos González of Buena Vista Social Club. Valdes toured with the Afro Cuban All Stars from 2009-2012, performing alongside legends of Cuban music. Having performed Cuban music all his life, Valdes is amazed “how much people love that kind of music.” Which speaks to an inherent quality in the music, which appeals to such a wide range of people globally. “It’s the energy that the music brings to the people; that makes them dance. It’s the rhythm,” says Valdes. The rhythm and energy will definitely be on hand to close out night one of FernFest!
